Nami turned out to be skilled at boating because it wasn't long before they had ditched the Marines. No doubt Alvida and her crew were being arrested, which helped to distract the Marines.
"So there's something I'm curious about. If you two are searching for One Piece, you realize that means heading for the Grand Line, right?" Koby said.
"Yeah, I used to live there. Trust me, dangerous as it is, it's not the pirate graveyard people think it is." Draco said. "There's enough calm areas for whole civilizations to live on. But it's also a crazy place, nearly impossible to navigate unless you spend enough time there. I've seen the ships of people who take the Grand Line lightly."
"Which is why we need a strong crew to sail there!" Luffy added.
"I heard Alvida mention that Bounty Hunter Duo?" Sonson spoke up.
Ben put a finger to his chin. "I think she was referring to Roronoa Zoro and Shimotsuki Kuina."
"Yeah, I've heard of them. Apparently, they're being held prisoner at a Marine base not far from here." Koby said. "Don't know why, they're supposed to be as scary as a pair of demons."
"Sounds like the perfect guys we need on our crew!" Luffy grinned.
"Are you guys serious?! Zoro and Kuina are pirate hunters! And didn't you guys just admit to being pirates!?" Nami called out.
"If the Marines are keeping them prisoner, it makes sense that they'd decide to go pirate." Draco pointed out.
Nami sighed. "What have I gotten myself into...?"
-OP-
During the time they spent sailing, the crew spoke of their childhoods. Luffy couldn't help but notice something was resonating with Nami as if she was reassessing herself. But she brushed it off. It wasn't her place to pry since she wasn't part of the crew.
"So what exactly are you looking for in a crew?" Koby asked.
"Mostly the basics. The four of us are the captains though Draco has appointed himself Quartermaster for the time being until we can find a dedicated one." Sonson said. "We'll also need a skilled Navigator, a Lookout, a Dunner, a few Doctors, and Cooks..."
"And maybe one or two Musicians!" Luffy pointed out. "Cuz pirates love to sing!"
"I've never heard of pirates singing," Nami said.
"Spend enough time on a large enough pirate crew, and you will come away with ten or more catchy shanties," Draco said. "The open seas can get boring, so pirates love to play music to pass the time."
"In fact, I feel an old one coming right now!" Ben grinned. "My old man taught me it!"
And with a deep breath, Ben began to sing:
"YO-HO, YO-HO, A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME!"
-OP-
The group soon reached the Marine base at Shells Town, just in time for Ben to finish his song as well.
"You've got the pipes of a god, Ben." Draco jokingly said as Ben beamed in pride.
"This is where we part ways. I don't like associating with pirates." Nami said.
Luffy shrugged. "Suit yourself, but I have a feeling we'll meet again."
Nami sighed. "Honestly, that may very well be the case..."
As she sailed off, the main four walked into town with Koby right behind them.
"Are you guys sure you want to do this?" Koby asked. "I mean, if they locked up Zoro and Kuina that means they had to be bad guys, right?"
"That depends on what sort of person is in charge here. Not all Marines are the good guys." Draco pointed out.
"Just like not all pirates are bad guys!" Sonson added.
Ben tossed a few Berris to a merchant and picked up some fruit for himself and his friends.
"So, do you guys know if Zoro and Kuina are at the base?" Luffy asked innocently.
To the five's surprise, the entire street seemed to leap back in a panic.
"Something tells me they don't like talking about..." Draco noted.
"Guess we'll just have to check out the base personally," Sonson decided.
Luffy nodded. "We were planning on helping Koby become a Marine anyway. Might as well see if they take applications for him."
Koby frowned worriedly. "I'm not sure if this is the best place to sign up. Rumor has it the guy in charge here is Captain Morgan—"
Once again the entire street leapt away in a panic.
"Starting to think the Pirate Hunter Duo aren't the bad guys here..." Sonson noted.
"Okay, this is just weird. Why would they be afraid of a Marine captain's name?" Koby wondered.
"Looks like we're about to find out..." Ben said as they were now standing right in front of the gates of the Marine base.
"So how are we getting in?" Draco wondered, "A group of pirates can't exactly go marching into the front gate asking for a kid to be signed up to the Marines. And even if we could I doubt we'd find Zoro and Kuina that way."
"Guess there's no other way," Luffy said before promptly leaping over the wall.
"She's nuts!" Koby called out.
"That's what we love about her." Sonson grinned.
"I found them!" Luffy called back.
Koby was shocked. "Are you serious? I thought they'd be locked up in a prison cell or something!"
"Let's see what's over there," Ben said as he grew his bat wings and flew over after Luffy.
"Wait for us!" Sonson cried, using her staff to pole vault over.
Draco sprouted giant majestic moth wings and flew over after his friends while carrying Koby on his back. Sure enough, Zoro and Kuina were sitting out in the middle of the base's yard, tied up and crucified and clearly sweltering under the hot sun.
"That's them, alright. But this seems like a bit of an extreme punishment." Ben noted.
"I'll say. All we have to do is untie them and they're free." Luffy nodded.
"Hey, you guys!" Zoro suddenly called. "You're an eyesore. Get lost."
"Oh shut up, Zoro." Kuina snapped. "Your whining woke me up from the best dream ever: Standing triumphant over all other swordsmen."
"Go suck an egg."
"I would, but then who would be there to keep you SOMEWHAT on the right track?"
"This coming from the dumbass who nearly died because of stairs."
"Oh my Oda, you are never going to let that go, are you?!" Kuina, suddenly invigorated, snapped. "I stopped myself at the last second!"
"Sure…and broke your hand so badly doing it that Sensei refused to let you out of his sight for two years," Zoro smirked.
"At least I have a sense of direction."
"Well. They're not very nice." Sonson pouted with a huff.
Suddenly, the five of them noticed a ladder being put on the wall just next to them, and a little girl climbed it. She looked over at them and made a shushing motion with her finger. After looking around to see if there was anyone else in the yard, she hopped over the wall using a rope and approached Zoro.
"She's crazy! We've got to stop her!" Koby panicked.
"Why?" Luffy asked. "She's clearly not a pirate, so I don't see why Zoro would harm her."
Down in the courtyard, Luffy's note was being proven true:
"What are you doing here, Rika?" Kuina asked the girl, a hint of desperation in her voice.
"I thought you two might be getting hungry now. So, I made a couple of rice balls, one for each of you." Rika grinned.
"You got a death wish, kid? Just scram." Zoro said.
"But neither of you have eaten anything the whole time you've been tied up." Rika said, untying the blanket, and unveiling the two rice balls "Here. I never really made them before. I did my best, so I think they're fine."
"Listen, kid, we're not hungry. Now stop irritating us and get out of here.", Zoro urged.
"Please, Rika. Just…" Kuina started.
"Now now, Zoro. Kuina. It's not nice to bully a little girl." Came a condescending male voice.
Two Marines came through the nearby gate along with an unpleasant-looking guy with blonde hair and a tacky purple suit.
"Who's that weirdo?" Luffy wondered.
"Pretty sure he's not with the Marines," Draco noted.
"Ugh, fashion disaster, much?" Sonson scoffed.
"I feel the urge to pummel him just for wearing a purple suit," Ben announced.
"At least the Marines are here. That should keep the girl safe." Koby said with a sigh of relief.
"Looky. Some tasty rice balls." The man, known as Helmeppo, said before he took one.
"Those aren't for you!" Rika scolded as Helmeppo then took a bite and gagged.
"That's way too sweet! Why the hell would you fill rice balls with sugar?! You're supposed to use salt!"
"I thought they would taste better sweet," Rika explained.
The man knocked the other rice ball out of Rika's hand and cruelly stomped on it.
"That's terrible!" Koby gasped.
"See what I was talking about, Koby?" Draco said. "Some Marines let the power get to their head."
Rika was tearing up at all her hard work being so cruelly wrecked right in front of her.
"I worked hard to make those..."
"Oh? Didn't you read the notice?" The man sneered as he pulled out a piece of paper. "Those who help criminals will be executed! By order of Captain Morgan."
"So he's Captain Morgan's son, huh?" Luffy noted. "No wonder he acts like he owns the place."
"You. Toss this kid out right now." The man ordered, worrying one of the Marines.
"But, Mr. Helmoppo, sir..."
"Just do it! Or do you want me to report you to my father!" The man, Helmoppo, snapped.
The man gulped and reluctantly approached Rika before kneeling.
"Sorry about this. Curl yourself into a ball. That will help you survive."
Rika did as instructed, but it ultimately wasn't necessary. Luffy managed to grab Rika as she went flying over the wall.
"Good catch." Ben nodded in approval.
"She seems to be okay," Koby noted as he checked on Rika. "I can't believe that bastard would give such an order."
Meanwhile, Zoro and Kuina were less than pleased with Helmoppo's actions.
"You're a real bastard, you know that right?" Zoro spoke up.
"Call me whatever you want. You're entitled to free speech while imprisoned. But you're really stubborn about staying alive." Helmoppo replied.
"You bet we are. We're gonna make it to the month without any problems." Kuina said as she spat in the man's face. "And when we do, we're going to make you regret everything you've done!
Helmoppo scowled as he wiped the spit off his face before walking off.
"We'll see about that."
"Only ten days left!" Zoro warned.
"Oh, you still assume you both will make it to the end of those ten days." Helmoppo scoffed.
Once he was gone, Zoro sighed in annoyance.
"Pain in the ass."
"No kidding. But hey, company migates misert, am I right?" Kunia asked.
"…Why're you still hear? You could've gotten out by now." Zorro asked.
"I'm not leaving my brother behind," Kuina said. "I'd never be able to live with the shame. And you know me…"
Zoro smiled "No regrets? No failure."
"Exactly." Kuina smiled back, as she and Zoro then noticed that Luffy and Sonson were standing there in front of them.
"So, you're the famous Pirate Hunter Duo, huh?"
"You're still here?" Zoro asked.
"We saw you and your friends earlier. Thanks for saving that girl, by the way." Kuina said thankfully.
"Something I don't understand. If you're supposed to be so strong, how'd they catch you and lock you up?" Luffy asked.
"Not to mention surviving for a month without food? I'd be dead in three days!" Sonson added.
Zoro smirked. "You just lack spirit, that's all. I'll live through this, no matter what it takes."
"Yeah, but your stomach can't lie, that's for sure." Ben pointed out as he and Draco came over.
"It's not like they aren't feeding us. They just offer the absolute minimum amount of food needed to survive day to day." Kuina sighed.
"Speaking of which, could you pick that up for me?" Zoro asked as he turned his eyes toward the mostly destroyed rice ball.
Draco picked it up and used the powers of hisAlchemy-Alchemy Fruitto restore the rice ball to perfect condition. He then split it in half and gave them both to Zoro and Kuina.
Kuina's eyes watered and she smiled, delighting in the taste.
"That Helmoppo bastard doesn't have the right tongue for sweets. It was actually pretty good." Zoro noted.
-OP-
"They really said that!?" Rika asked excitedly.
"Ate every last bite!" Luffy grinned.
Rika couldn't have looked happier when she heard that.
"I'm starting to wonder if Zoro and Kuina are as evil as they say," Koby said.
"No one's exactly like the legends portraying them. You should see the crazy things they say about my dad Whitebeard." Draco pointed out.
"Actually, Zoro and Kuina let themselves get arrested and crucified in our place... Because of something Helmoppo did." Rika explained. "He's Captain Morgan's son, and as a result acts like he has the run of the town. Almost a month ago he was walking through the streets with his pet wolf, threatening to execute anyone who got in their way. The wolf was a vicious and mean one, breaking into the restaurant my mom owns and eating all the food without regard for the customers."
"Sheesh, what a jerk!" Sonson said.
"I tried to scare the wolf off but when it tried to attack me, Zoro threw a stool at it to knock it out. For the first time ever Helmoppo was scared, knowing Zoro's reputation. He and Kuina acted like Helmoppo and his wolf were just annoying them, but somehow I could tell they were just trying to help us. When Helmoppo threatened to tell his father and get the whole village executed, Zoro and Kuina agreed to let themselves be strung up instead for a whole month. Helmoppo promised that if they could survive for that entire time, they'd be allowed to live."
"That's definitely impressive, to say the least," Ben noted. "How long has it been?"
"Three weeks. And Helmoppo has been trying to stack the deck in his favor the entire time, punching and kicking them while they're tied up." Rika explained.
Suddenly a crashing sound was heard. Quickly, everyone made their way over to investigate and saw that Helmoppo was causing trouble again at the restaurant, rudely propping his legs on a fruit bowl on the table he was sitting at.
"I'm hungry! Let us eat here for free! And bring some good booze as well!"
Luffy noticed out of the corner of his eye that Nami was there as well, sitting at a nearby table enjoying a fruit juice but didn't say anything.
"I've been getting pretty bored lately. So I've decided to execute Zoro and Kuina tomorrow." Helmoppo smirked as some wine was poured for him. "Hope you all look forward to it!"
That didn't sit well with Luffy at all, the straw-hatted girl angrily dashing forward and clocking Helmoppo across the jaw, sending him flying into a nearby wall.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Helmoppo snapped.
"Teaching a scumbag a lesson," Luffy growled, cracking her knuckles.
"Do you even know who I am!? I'm Captain….!"
"You're nothing but a cowardly bully," Draco said coldly as he approached and stomped down on Helmoppo's hand, making the man wail in pain. "Rather than fight your own battles, you cry to Daddy anytime something doesn't go your way. You're not even an actual Marine, so why should the people obey you?"
"And really? JUST a Captain and you think your dad is tough?" Ben added. "My friend, we'd give somewhat of a damn if you said 'Vice-Admiral.'"
"In fact, unless your dad's name is Momonga, Jonathan, Borsalino, Kuzan, or Sakazuki? We do not care." Sonson added.
-OP-
Meanwhile, at the Marine base, the literally iron-jawed Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan was sitting at his desk.
"I am... Great!"
"Yes sir, Captain Morgan!" The nearby Marine saluted.
"And yet the tribute to me has been a bit lacking lately," Morgan noted.
"To be fair, Captain, the citizens' wallets do have their limits."
"Whether they can pay or not does not matter. What matters is how much they respect me."
Before the Marine could make another argument, Helmoppo suddenly burst into the office.
"Father! There's someone I want you to slaughter!"
-OP-
As Zoro and Kuina continued to struggle under the sweltering sun, they noticed Luffy and Sonson standing in front of them.
"Hello again." Kuina managed, mentally thinking she'd KILL for some cold water right now.
"You guys sure have a lot of free time," Zoro noted.
"Yeah and…well, we gotta get you guys outta here," Luffy said sheepishly.
"…What did you do?" Kunia sighed, clearly having an idea of what was going on.
"Before that? We were gonna wait until ten days had passed. Checking in on you every day prior." Sonson admitted. "But our timetable just got upped."
"Here's the thing, we need strong people for our crew. And when I heard how strong you two were, we figured you'd be the perfect members!" Luffy grinned.
"You guys do realize we're pirate hunters, right?" Zoro pointed out. "Why would we stoop to a criminal's level?"
"Kinda too late for that if your current state of being is any indication." Sonson cheekily retorted.
"…She's got us there." Kunia pointed out.
Zoro sighed. "Fair enough. But we'd rather not be despicable pirates."
"So just don't become despicable pirates. Just become heroic pirates." Luffy pointed out. "Those exist too, y'know!"
"You guys really know how to negotiate, but we still need to live through ten more days of this. Then we can move on to accomplishing our real goals in life." Zoro said.
"Not anymore," Sonson said. "Long story short, that prick decided to have you two killed after Luffy socked him good."
"Should have known that weasel wouldn't honor his deal..." Zoro sighed.
"So you guys have dreams too? Depending on what it is, you might make it easier to join our crew." Luffy said.
"Yeah, but that tool Helmeppo took our gear." Kuina scowled.
"Cool." Luffy shrugged, turning to Sonson. "Sonson, you're sneaky and quick, think you can find their gear?"
"You got it! You just keep an eye on Zoro and Kuina!"
"Well, Ben and Draco are on standby just in case!"
Sonson grinned and then did a backflip, manifesting her Somersault Cloud before riding it away, surprising Zoro and Kuina.
"Wait, she's a Devil Fruit user too?!" Kuina asked.
"Oh yeah, all four of us are." Luffy smiled before realizing what Kunia had said. "Wait…if you know what a Devil Fruit is?"
"Oh yeah, Kuina ate one. Could've busted out long ago, too if she wanted." Zoro smirked.
Kuina sighed. "I ate theBird-Bird Fruit: Model Vermillion Bird."
"And you should see what she can do with a sword," Zoro smirked.
"Niiiice!" Luffy beamed. "You gotta join the crew!"
"Let's wait and see how things play out first..." Kuina said.
-OP-
Meanwhile, Morgan was busy having his men erect a large statue of himself, which didn't sit well with Helmeppo.
"Dad, what about getting revenge for me!? That one guy hit me, and the other one stomped on my hand!"
"…Were you wearing the Purple suit?" His father asked.
"Yes I…!"
"THEN YOU DESERVED IT!"
"But dad, not even you ever struck me before now!"
Morgan nodded. "That's true. But do you know why?"
Helmeppo looked confused. Morgan then spun around and clocked him hard enough to send him flying into the fortress wall.
"It's because you're a stupid worthless son not even worth hitting!"
He used his axe arm to lift Helmeppo off the ground by the collar.
"You may be my son, but I am the one who is great! Greatness is something you earn! It is not something you are just given by lineage!" Morgan snarled before unceremoniously dropping Helmeppo on the ground. "Which reminds me, I heard a rat snuck into the crucifixion yard earlier."
"You mean that little pipsqueak?" Helmeppo asked. "I already made sure she was dealt with."
"You already had her killed, I trust?"
"I mean I tried to have her killed, but I guess someone was watching the whole thing because she was rescued."
Morgan scoffed and pointed to one of the Marines.
"Go into town and find out who dared to rescue a criminal slated for execution. Then execute them both!"
"But, sir... She's just a little girl!" The Marine protested.
"Anyone who disobeys my orders is a traitor! I don't care how old they are!" Morgan declared, clobbering the poor guy over the head with the blunt end of his axe hand. "I rose to the rank of Captain with my own strength! In this world, titles mean everything! And as the highest ranking officer at this base, I am the most superior person here! That means everything I do is right! My every word is law! Is that clear!?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The Marines all responded fearfully as Morgan turned his attention back to his statue.
"This symbol of my greatness took many years to complete. We'll deal with the traitors later. For now, finish raising the statue onto its pedestal! Let my greatness be a symbol displayed at the top of this base!"
Of course, with so many Marines busy working on the statue, Sonson had plenty of time to search the base.
"I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but even I can tell a swordsman's swords would be stashed in the armory. Maybe I should find someone who knows where that is."
Suddenly she heard something rumble from up above. It turned out that part of the statue had hit the roof of the base.
"Looks like all the Marines must be there. Might be a good idea to check it out!"
Sonson used theEarthly Transformationstechnique to transform into a golden cicada and flutter up the base just as Morgan was confronting the man who caused the statue to bump.
"I told you to think of this statue as me! The slightest scratch or speck of dirt is treachery!"
But before he could bring his hand down, he and the other Marines got distracted by the sight of Sonson transforming back to normal and leaping up from the bottom of the base. She landed on the statue and caused it to both topple over and break in half. This left Morgan completely apoplectic.
"Oopsie~!" She giggled, tapping her forehead and sticking out her tongue. "They don't make statues like they used to, huh?"
"Damn you! You'll die slowly for that!" Morgan roared.
"I recognize her!" Helmeppo exclaimed. "She was with the jerks who punched me and stomped on my hand!"
Morgan paused. "Men, this one deserves a quick and painless death. She and her companions can't be all that evil if she understands my son as well as I do."
"Daddy!"
"Sorry, but you can't kill me even if you tried! I'm Sextuple Immortal!" Sonson grinned, holding up six fingers. "Besides, I just came here to pick something up for our newest crew members."
Sonson then dashed on her Somersault Cloud and grabbed Helmeppo by the back of his collar, dragging him along with her as the entire base was left shocked.
"Don't let that mangy monkey escape!" Morgan ordered.
"Captain! There's someone else down in the crucifixion yard! It looks like he's been standing there for a while!" Another Marine called out.
Morgan looked down and spotted Luffy, waiting around patiently.
"He must be a member of the crew that monkey brat mentioned. Seems I'm getting surrounded by one traitor after another."
-OP-
Meanwhile, Nami had also slipped into the Marine base and picked one of the locks when she heard the commotion.
"Find that woman! She's got Master Helmeppo!"
Nami groaned. "Sounds like someone just made things a lot more complicated here."
Speaking of which, Helmeppo was freaking out as Sonson dragged him along before stopping.
"Okay, now that we have some room to breathe, where did you stash Zoro and Kuina's swords?"
Helmeppo shakily pointed to a nearby door.
"O-Over there, in my room!"
"Wow, and you even labeled it 'My Room'!" Sonson noted. "Sheesh, you're just tacky in every sense of the word!"
"Freeze! Release Master Helmeppo at once!" A Marine shouted as he and several others aimed their muskets at Sonson.
"Eh, you can have him!" Sonson said as she held Helmeppo up and then kicked him in the fanny, sending him flying into the Marines. "He served his purpose anyway!"
Sonson then moved to Helmeppo's room and aimed her finger at the lock on it.
"JIE SUO FA!"
The lock glowed brightly before unlocking as Sonson zipped inside, the Marines simply watching in shock.
-OP-
"So you seriously punched Helmeppo?" Kuina asked Luffy. "Are you sure you guys are pirates?"
"Pirates aren't all evil. I've known at least two crews of pirates that are good people and protect others, seeking only freedom and adventure." Draco said, also making his presence known. "One of them being led by my father."
Just then, several Marines showed up with muskets, Morgan right behind them.
"The crime of treachery against me carries a heavy penalty. And the punishment is execution!"
"Question, what if someone above your position were to go against your orders?" Ben asked. "Like say, telling you to knock off killing and exploiting the people here?"
Morgan actually seemed to hesitate for a moment before angrily shaking his head.
"That question is irrelevant! But I must commend you on pulling all this under my nose until now. Tell me, was this a planned coup from the beginning?"
"Kuina and I prefer to work alone. Unlike an arrogant bastard like you who uses soldiers as pawns." Zoro said.
"And I shall confess as well!" Ben said as he took a dramatic step. "It is my intention, as well as my mates here, to commandeer a great big ship, pick up a crew from every corner of the world, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out."
"What kind of bald-faced lie is that?!" Morgan snapped.
"Um, sir, I think he's telling the truth..." One of the Marines pointed out.
"If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us!"
"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you," Ben said with a smirk.
"Shishishishishi!" Luffy snickered at the dumbstruck look on Morgan's face.
"You'd be wise not to underestimate me. Strong as you may be, before my authority, you're as good as scum!" Morgan snarled as he raised his axe hand. "Men, open fire!"
Luffy, Ben, and Draco quickly stood in front of Zoro and Kuina as the muskets went off, the bullets bouncing off Luffy's rubber body as Ben erected a shield of bones to defend himself while Draco held out his hand and all the bullets that touched his body turned into harmless smoke.
"They have Devil Fruits as well..." Morgan realized.
Sonson then landed near the others before turning to Zoro and Kuina and holding out four swords.
"Just who the hell are you guys?!" Kuina asked, both she and Zoro shocked by everything that had been happening.
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy, that's my sister Sonson, and these are our best friends; Lor D. Draco and Sparrow D. Benjamin!" Luffy grinned. "And I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!"
"Are you serious?! Do you even know what that means!?" Zoro asked.
"Does it really need a deeper meaning?" Luffy pointed out simply.
"And aren't you a girl? Shouldn't that make you Queen of the Pirates?" Kuina added.
"A girl can be a King too!" Luffy argued.
"Being King of the Pirates is just a step up from the Yonko, except you get way more freedom." Draco pointed out.
"And Luffy here is the one who's going to succeed Gol D. Roger. Together, we are going to find One Piece!" Ben smirked.
"Speaking of which, I got your sword back. There were four so I didn't know which one to grab. I took all of them just in case." Sonson said as she handed Zoro and Kuina the swords.
"Those three are mine," Zoro said. "I use the Three-Sword Style."
"And that sword on the far right is mine," Kuina added. "I prefer a more simple, graceful style."
"Wow, you guys must be tough!" Sonson whistled.
Ben chuckled. "I believe it's logical that you consider joining our crew, considering the Marines have marked you for death."
Zoro smirked. "Guess you got a point. At this rate it seems joining you as a pirate is my only choice right now."
Kunia patted Zoro's head with her bound foot.
"Good! The dummy learns! Now…"
The swordswoman sprouted brilliant, crimson-feathered wings across her arms, which emit flames that cut and burn through the ropes binding the two of them, giving them time to grab their swords.
The Marines were shocked. "What's with those monsters?!"
"They're Devil Fruit users, rare this far out in the Blue Seas. Those who eat one are granted otherworldly powers. Breathing fire, manifesting blades, creating tsunamis, there are rumored to be as many Devil Fruit powers as there are drops of water in the ocean. Yet despite the vast research done on them, very little is truly known about how they work." Morgan explained. "The majority of Devil Fruits can be found in the Grand Line, but occasionally a few fruits will find their way out to the Blue Seas. Like what these six displayed just now. That's clearly Devil Fruit power they possess."
"Awwww, I feel so complimented!" Sonson grinned.
Undeterred, Morgan raised his axe hand. "But in the end, Devil Fruit users are still human, and can still be killed! And everyone who opposes me gets executed, no matter who they are! Men, use your blades! Chop them to pieces!"
Zoro scoffed as he placed one of the swords between his teeth by the hilt while Kuina gripped her own sword with both hands, both of them easily blocking all the blades the Marines were using.
"You guys seem to have forgotten that the two of us just got free. And three weeks isn't nearly enough to weaken us to the point that your basic sword skills can kill us." Zoro said.
"You know, you made a big mistake deciding to go back on our deal. Before we were just bounty hunters, taking out the pirate scum you all needed help dealing with. But now... You've convinced us to turn pirate ourselves!" Kuina added.
"Something I need to make clear. Whether Kuina and join your crew or not, we're only in this to fulfill my own ambition." Zoro said. "We both aim to become the world's greatest swordsmen! Neither of us will let anyone get in the way of that dream. Understood?"
"Absolutely!" Luffy beamed. "I'm not about to get in the way of any dream a member of my crew has. And if I can, I'll even help them. That's the sort of captain I am."
"Besides, we need the best of the best for our crew. And having the world's greatest swordsman and swordswoman is definitely a good start." Ben added with a smirk.
Zoro chuckled. "Looks like we have a deal then."
"So then, any first orders you got for me, Captain?" Kuina asked.
"You can address either me, Ben, Luffy, or Draco as Captain because we all share the role," Sonson explained. "And our first order...DUCK!"
"GUM-GUM WHIP!"
Zoro quickly ducked while Kuina jumped high off the ground as Luffy's stretched-out leg took out the entire Marine unit in one kick, leaving Morgan gobsmacked.
"Damn, you really did eat a Devil Fruit," Zoro said as he stood up. "And here I thought Kuina would have been the only one I'd ever know."
"I ate theGum-Gum Fruit. Thanks to it, my whole body is made of rubber!" Luffy grinned.
More marines raced at the other captains, with Sonson smirking evilly as her staff grew up to the sky and she ripped out some of her hair, which she blew onto and turned into clones before returning to the ground,
"I ate theMonkey-Monkey Fruit: Model Sun Wukong! With it, I am the Monkey Queen!" She smirked.
"Draco and I ate three Devil Fruits each...and LIVED," Ben smirked. "I ate the Bone-Bone Fruit, the Blood-Blood Fruit, and the Bat-Bat Fruit: Model Higher Vampire."
To demonstrate, Ben sent out giant bones erupting from the ground with the flick of his wrist before forming blood out of his palms and sending it out as a myriad of concussive shots. He then finished by turning into a swarm of bats and reappearing behind a hapless Marine before slamming him facefirst into the ground.
"As for me, I ate the Kaiju-Kaiju Fruit, the Alchemy-Alchemy Fruit, and the Disaster-Disaster Fruit," Draco added. "With such power at my disposal, it's important I hold myself back a great deal."
Draco transformed into what he called hisKong Mode, one of his Kaiju Transformations that essentially made him a large gorilla. He then transmuted the ground to create a hammer which he used to send several Marines flying before slamming the hammer down, creating a shockwave of black lightning and purple flames.
"Captain, we can't handle these guys!" A Marine called out.
"Who said that?!" Morgan snapped. "Everyone who spouted weakness just now, shoot yourselves in the head! I have no use for weakling soldiers!"
Draco, having turned back to human form, scoffed and clapped his hands, blue alchemical lightning sparking off them before slamming them into the ground.
"TRANSMUTATION BARRAGE!"
Morgan couldn't react in time as the ground underneath Draco was transmuted into multiple stone fists that pummeled into him, one or two even cracking his iron jaw.
"If you've got no use for weaklings, relieve them of duty. To force them to kill themselves is a gross misuse of power."
Morgan stumbled back, then threw off his coat as he prepared to fight.
"Rankless, low-status bums have no right whatsoever to defy me!"
"Oh, we have a right!" Sonson snapped. "You're just too blinded by your power to realize that!"
"And too high up your own ass to realize how outmatched you are!" Ben added.
"We'll see about that! I'll show you why I was given the name Axe Hand Morgan!" Morgan bellowed. "Let's see your powers save you from this!"
He swung his axe blade, but it phased harmlessly through Draco's body leaving a trail of ash.
"TheDisaster-Disaster Fruithappens to be a Logia. It doesn't matter how hard you swing that blade, you can't touch me."
Sonson then leaped high into the air in a somersault before drawing out her staff and then enlarging it to the size of a small pillar, throwing it down at Morgan.
"TENCHI TSUUKAN!"
Morgan wound up slammed into the ground hard, actually creating a crater from the impact. The other Marines were just left standing there in shock.
"A man like you doesn't deserve to be called a Marine. You abuse your power, you commit crimes and call it orders." Draco snarled. "You disgrace a young boy's dream. And for what? To glorify yourself at the expense of others. Even your own son."
"Hey, hold it!"
Everyone turned to see Helmeppo there, holding a pistol to Koby's head. Naturally, they were quite enraged at the sight of Koby being threatened.
"I don't think so..."
Helmeppo gasped as Ben swiped Koby out of his clutches before retreating into a swarm of bats and reappearing a safe distance away.
"There's something I needed to do..." Kuina said before flying toward Helmeppo with her wings and then transforming into her Hybrid Form, flipping forward and kicking him in the face with her talons, scratching a large gash over his face as he screamed in pain and fell on his back, writhing on the ground in agony.
"Heh, you called dibs on that bastard son...I get to have a go at Morgan!"
Zoro then dashed forward as Morgan regained his bearings and swung his axe hand at him. However, the swordsman drew all three of his swords and with a single flourish, completely obliterated Morgan's axe.
"I-Impossible...!"
Suddenly, before anybody could even blink, slashes suddenly appeared in twelve different parts of Morgan's body, blood splurting out as he blanched in pain before tipping backward and landing on the ground.
"T-They just beat the captain..." One of the Marines realized.
"Yeah, we did," Zoro smirked as he was more than ready to fight. "Anybody else wants a turn?"
What happened next was shocking: Because, instead of surrendering or attacking….
"WE'RE FREE!"
"PRAISE ODA!
...The Marines all just cheered, declaring their freedom.
"I guess none of them really liked serving under Morgan," Sonson realized.
"He was the only really evil one here. The others were just too afraid to stand up to him." Draco noted.
Zoro and Kuina suddenly both collapsed, their fatigue catching up to them as the Four Captains moved to support them.
-OP-
While this was happening, Nami had tied up two of the Marines and was looking around Morgan's office.
Hmm, I'm not seeing it among his paperwork."
She noticed a wall safe behind some barrels and pushed them out of the way. Luckily the safe was already unlocked, and Nami saw what she was looking for inside it.
"Here it is! A chart of the Grand Line! I knew a Marine base had to have at least one lying around."
She unfurled the chart, only to find a Jolly Roger, the skull having a clown nose.
"I've flashily taken the map! Signed, Buggy the Clown."
Nami sighed in frustration as she crumpled the chart in her hand.
"Of course, it would be him... The man they call the Genius Jester, who's supposedly immortal. But that won't stop me. Being immortal doesn't mean you can't be stolen from."
-OP-
Back in the village, the group had been offered as much food as they could eat.
"Man, that was great! Haven't eaten in three weeks!" Zoro said.
"So glad to finally be out of those bounds." Kuina smiled.
Draco was polishing off the remains of a fried fish fillet and a heavy salad while Sonson happily ate five whole bananas at once.
"Thanks for treating us, by the way," Ben said to Rika's mom, Ririka.
"Well, you did save the town. Though are you sure you must leave so soon?"
"Town saviors or not, we're still pirates." Ben shrugged. "And even with Morgan routed there's still a Marine presence here. So, we really can't stay."
"Though the new acting captain did promise to take Koby in after we confirmed he wasn't part of our crew," Luffy said, happy that the boy would be able to follow his dream.
"You guys are amazing!" Rika beamed.
"And we're just getting started." Draco smiled as he gently patted her head. "We've got a long way to go before we're ready to find One Piece. The Grand Line is a dangerous place, and the closer to the edge you get the more dangerous it becomes."
"So right now it's just us?" Zoro asked.
"We're just starting out. We still need to gather a few essential crew members before we can even reach the Grand Line." Luffy admitted. "In particular finding a navigator before then is going to be essential."
"Well, considering that with me and Zoro making your group seven people in total, seems like a good start for a crew." Kuina pointed out.
"We're going to have the biggest and strongest crew of pirates the world has ever seen!" Ben said. "From every corner of this world, we'll find capable people willing to sail with us!"
"Sounds like quite a big goal," Zoro noted. "But what about your ship?"
"That's something else we need to work on. We're going to need a bigger ship to make it through, especially as we start to add crew members." Sonson said.
"Right now we barely have a longboat, and that's on loan from someone else. Come to think of it, that also means we'll need a shipwright." Draco noted. "Unfortunately, I don't know the Blue Seas as well as I do the New World, so I don't know where we can find a good place to get a larger ship."
Zoro and Kuina looked at each other before deeply sighing at the same time.
"Helluva crew we just joined, huh?"
"Yeah, we're not ready to cross the Grand Line yet." Sonson shrugged.
"Is the Grand Line so terrible?" Rika asked.
Draco leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure you know this, but the world has two oceans, cut in half by the Red Line, a giant continent that circles the world. The Grand Line cuts through the Red Line at a right angle. It was at the end of the Grand Line that Gol D. Roger found the legendary treasure One Piece. Finding it granted him the right to claim the title of King of the Pirates, obtaining everything this world has to offer in the process.
"After he was executed, many pirates sailed for the Grand Line to claim the One Piece for themselves. But none since Roger has managed to complete the journey." Bamia said.
"Wait, didn't Draco tell us his father is the Legendary Whitebeard?" Kuina asked. "Why hasn't he tried to sail for the One Piece?"
"He did. And at the same time as Roger, no less. But Roger got to it first, so Dad decided he already had his chance, and that it was time for the younger generation to lay claim to the title." Draco clarified.
"I've heard that whoever enters the Grand Line never comes out alive," Ririka noted.
"From what Draco's told me, the Grand Line isn't as terrible as people make it out to be," Ben said. "Sure it's definitely dangerous, but not so much that it's uninhabitable, and in fact, there are many islands that have been settled by those that were beaten by the Grand Line but still survived."
"Yeah, Draco was raised on the Grand Line." Sonson clarified. "He knows quite a bit about it and he passed on that knowledge to us as well."
Luffy nodded. "It's sad that we have to leave Koby behind, but his dream is to be part of the Marines, so we have to part ways. But I believe we'll always be friends."
"You sure he's gonna be okay?" Zoro asked. "He apparently spent two years as Iron Mace Alvida's cabin boy, and the Marines do have a skilled intelligence network. If they find out about that, Koby won't be getting his dreams."
"They actually already know. But they're not heartless like Morgan was." Draco clarified. "They're willing to overlook it since Koby was so low on Alvida's crew, and was pressed into service against his will."
"Anyway, it's about time we leave. The Marines won't be letting us stay here any longer." Ben noted as he stood up.
"Are we gonna have to deal with an investigation?" Sonson wondered.
"I overheard some of the Marines saying how they don't intend to report us to headquarters. Just informing them of Morgan's gross misuse of authority." Kuina said.
Luffy picked up the large bag of food provided to the group and they headed out of the restaurant. As they untied their boat, they saw a surprising sight. The Marines had lined up on the shore of the island, Koby standing next to the lieutenant colonel with tears of joy in his eyes.
"Men! One final salute to this island's saviors!"
Zoro chuckled. "Getting saluted by the Marines even though we're pirates."
"Don't get used to it. For every decent Marine out there, there's another nasty one just waiting to abuse their power." Draco said.
Luffy grinned. "Well, maybe we'll see Koby again someday. We might be on different sides, but friends stay friends no matter what."
The boat they were given had its sail unfurled and caught the wind to take off, letting the new crew of pirates sail away from the island.
"One thing I'm wondering, why are you guys even looking for the One Piece anyway?" Zoro asked.
"We both made a promise. Me to the man who gave me this straw hat, and Draco to his Pops." Luffy said. "Both of them saw One Piece with their own eyes. So now, we want to live up to their legacy."
Ben chuckled. "Personally, I want to see the whole damn world and everything it has to offer before I die."
"And I aim to become a mighty warrior! The Great Warrior Sage Equal to God!" Sonson declared.
Zoro and Kuina looked at each other and smiled. With the wind at their backs, the crew sailed off for the next step in their adventure.
Knightmare Lord A/N:
Surprise, surprise! Kuina is still alive! Hope you like the Devil Fruit that she has. Since Kaido has the Azure Dragon, I figured we could have Devil Fruits for the other Chinese Celestial Guardians!
You guys will see the White Tiger and the Black Tortoise later down the line. You'll be surprised who we picked for them!